Reach-rod.



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APPLICATION FILED 00T. I5. I9I4. l A

Patented. @em IQUJE0 A. D WILT, JR.

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ZYSHEETS--SHEET 2.

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BRAIVI D. WILT, JR., OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

REACH-ROD.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 19106.

Application Iiled October 15, 1914. Serial No. 866,750.

Serial No. 697 ,188, filed May 14th, 1912, and

has among its objects to provide a form of device which shall not only be simple and economical to manufacture but shall minimize the dangers `of breakage, thereby making a safer article.

More specifically the invention consists in making the sockets of these steering rods, etc., of pressed steel. The sockets are made from a flat disk of suitable thickness of steel and the disk goes through several drawings or pressing operations before it reaches the completed stage. A casual comparison of these sockets with sockets made in accordance with my copending application would probably not disclose any difference. A careful comparison, however, would show that the inside of the large hole of the pressed steel socket is much more accurate than the sockets made of steel tubing. Furthermore in a socket bent in by swaging or by similar operations a slight crystallization of the material results at the shoulder thus formed and the reach is accordingly weakened.4 1n other f words the shoulder of the pressed steel sockets is morefibrous, and therefore stronger. It will therefore be seen that in accordance with my present invention a perl fectly safe. article may be "manufactured with less trouble than is required in similar devices. Also, as will bef yunderstood by those skilled .in this art, a. reach rod is less expensive to manufacture by this method.

Referring to the drawings Figure l is a side elevation of one form of the device,

being in this instance a steering reach rod, and showing the same connected to a steering crank arm, the latter indicated in. dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a flat disk of rolled steel from Figs.

which the 'socket is made. Figs. 4 to 9 inclusive illustrate the results of successive operations performed upon the blank in producing the socket.

The steering reach comprises a rod which resembles, in its nished form, a continuous piece of tubing from one end to the other but is reduced, as will be described 1n detail below, between the ends thereof at 10. The portions of larger diameter are mdlcated at l1 and 12 while-the portions of smaller diameter are indicated at 13 and 14.-

Between the portions of smaller diameter and welded or otherwise secured thereto, is the portlon 15. The reduced portion 13 v 1n conjunction with the shoulder 10 and the enlarged portion l1 constitute the socket of the reach rod at the left-hand side of l and 2. Similarly the portions 111, l0 and 12 constitute the socket at the righthand side of Figssl and 2. These sockets are provided with a slot 16 having an aperture 17 sufficiently large to receive the ball ofl the crank arm 19 therethrough. The

shoulder 10 of the sockets serve as seats for springs as Willbe understood. In order to avoid any prolixity of description the specie form of connection between these sockets and the aforesaid crank-arm, or other arm, is not described herein as the saine is fully described in my copending apphcation above referred to. rlhe various parts however are shown by dotted lines on Sheet 2 of the drawings and in their normal position.

v Thetubing sockets of my copending application are made by cutting 0E a length of straight tubing and swaging it down to form the intermediate shoulder l() to serve as a seat for a spring, or the shoulder is formed by taking a piece of straight tubing and drawing it through a die which reduces one end thereof and simultaneously forms the shoulder. The rolled steel blank 20 however must go through a number of pressing operations before it assumes the desired shape of the socket which constitutes the subject matter of this application.

'Starting with this Hat piece of steel 2O en the cup and form the intermediate shoulder which serves as the seat for a spring. These successive operations are illustrated in Figs. l to 9 inclusive, the last operation consisting in turning or cutting olf the closed end on the socket portion of reduced diameter. After the socket is made in the manner above described it is Welded or otherwise secured at a-a or b-b to the intermediate portion l5 of the tubing to form the complete reach.

Among the advantages of a tubing constructed as above described, and in addition to those already mentioned, I now proceed to detail the more important ones. The steel tubing is far superior to and stronger than the socket tubing made from bar stock and avoids the seams or other defects of cold rolled steel. A Weld made from tubing to tubing is much stronger than a Weld from cold rolled steel to tubing, due to the fact that the former materials are homogeneous, `or substantially homogeneous. The

reducing of the tubing in the manner described makes it possible to gain accuracy in diameter of the reduced portion of the tubing such as is desirable and most essential for proper Welding. The tube can be looked through to ascertain whether or not the Weld is properly made. The rod being made essentially in one integral piece materially simplifies previous constructions. The fact that the rod is of steel tubing throughout not only conserves lightness but the strength in proportion to the quantity of material used is maximum, and the cost of manufacture is minimum.

What I claim is 1. A reach rod and connection comprising a crank arm With a ball thereon and a reach rod formed from pieces oftubing, one of said pieces of tubing made from a blank by subjecting the same to successive press operations to contract one end thereof and to form a shoulder at an intermediate point, and the contracted portion being Welded to another piece of tubing whereby a seat for a spring is formed andthe Welded joint may be inspected from both the interior and exterior of said tubing.

2. A steering reach rod, comprising end portions, and an intermediate portion of tubing, one of said end portions consisting of tubing made from a blank by subjecting the same to successive press operations, to

contract one end thereof and to form a shoulder at an intermediate point, which is adapted to serve as a seat for a spring and also to form a part of smaller diameter, which is Welded to the intermediate tubular portion connecting the end portions, and through which the welded joint can be inspected from the interior.

3. A steering reach rod, comprising end portions of steel tubing and an intermediate portion also of steel tubing, each of said end portions of tubing made from a blank by subjecting the same to successive press operations to contract one end thereof to form parts of larger `and smaller diameters, each of the converging portions connecting the parts of larger and smaller diameter forming a shoulder which is adapted to serve as a seat for 'a spring, and the intermediate tubular portion of said reach rod being Welded to each of said parts of smaller diameter.

4. A steering reach rod, comprising pieces of steel tubing, the walls of one of said pieces of tubingr made from a blank by subjecting the same to successive press operations to contract one end thereof to form a shoulder at an intermediate point, the contracted portion of said piece of tubing welded to another of said pieces of steel tubing,

whereby a seat for a spring is formed by said inwardly bent portion, and a Welded joint is effected between substantially homogeneous metals.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ABRAM D. WILT, JR.

Witnesses ALEXANDER MUNRO, EDWARD DONNELLY. 

